IED Blast Targets Army Convoy in Pulwama

Srinagar: Suspected terrorists on Monday targeted an Army convoy with an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The Army Casper, a bullet and mine proof vehicle, of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was targeted by the IED explosion near Eidgah Arihal on the Arihal-Lassipora road in the South Kashmir's district, a police official said.        

There are no reports of any loss of life but the Army cordoned off the area and fired in air to maintain area domination, an official said.

The site of the blast is 27 kms from the area where a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a suicide bomber on 14 February in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.           

Further details were awaited.

 Earlier in the day, an Army major and a militant were killed, while another officer and two troopers were injured on Monday in an encounter between security forces and the ultras in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said.

A major-rank officer was killed while another officer of the same rank and two soldiers were injured in the encounter in the Achabal area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district, they added.           

The injured were rushed to the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar, the officials said. They added that an unidentified militant was also killed in the gunfight and his body  recovered.           

Arms and ammunition were also seized from the encounter site, the officials said.           

The identity and group affiliation of the slain militant was being ascertained, they added.           

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area this morning. The search operation led to a gunfight after the militants fired on the forces, who retaliated